Preliminary Study on the Relationship Between Inflammation and Hemifacial Spasm.

BACKGROUND: Complete pathogenesis of hemifacial spasm (HFS) is unknown. In some patients with HFS, thickened, opaque, and sticky arachnoid membranes have been found during microvascular decompression procedures. This phenomenon indicates a possible relationship between inflammation and HFS. The aim of this study was to explore the role of inflammation in pathogenesis of HFS. METHODS: Levels of interferon-gamma, interleukin-2 receptor, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8, interleukin-10, and tumor necrosis factor alpha and white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts were compared between patients with HFS, patients with lumbar disc herniation, and healthy control subjects. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic significance of peripheral blood inflammatory markers for HFS. All the inflammatory markers were further analyzed by single and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Patients with HFS had greater IL-6, interleukin-8, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count than patients with lumbar disc herniation and healthy control subjects. Area under curve values of IL-6, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count were >0.8. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that only interleukin-2 receptor and IL-6 were relevant to HFS. CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation is relative to HFS. IL-6 may be 1 of many factors involved in pathogenesis of HFS.